Problems and Methods of Literary History

The aim of the book is, first, to give to the novice in literary history a clear idea of the field he is entering—to define its characteristics and limits, its relations with the two neighboring provinces of literary criticism and history; next, to familiarize him with the indispensable implements and tools; lastly, to introduce him to the principal problems that may arise and to help him to find the solutions.

The book answers many persistent problems of the subject which have hampered the complete understanding of the subject. These problems, after all, are not endlessly varied: they fall under a certain number of headings, corresponding to different stages in the creation of a literary work and to its varying fortunes with the public; for instance, questions of linguistic or grammatical commentary and interpretation, questions of sources or of influence, questions of chronology or of authenticity, of biography or of bibliography, of language, style, or versification.

The student is never the first person who has had to deal with them: others before him have made the attempt; others have solved them. Their researches, considered particularly from the point of view of method, form a treasure of accumulated experience on which the present volume invites the newcomer to draw as often as he can.

“To be useful to students has been my constant thought”